Help! divorcing a police office any advice on Financial settlements

[cjcj20]

Has anyone got any experience in divorcing a police officer that could share any good advice.
I have got a solicitor and we are just now getting to the part where the Financial bits are going to get sorted.
He is trying to say I am not entitled to any of his pension as he started working in the police before we met.
We have been together for 14 years and married for 10
we have equity in our house which is being sold at the moment
I have a small income
I am just looking for any top tips and info on what sort of percentage I may get or anything else you could share.

I forgot to say we have one child together our daughter who is 11

I would say he is talking bollocks. He might get a couple of years before you married but the rest of his pension is fair game. Long serving officers have a pretty good pension, however the new pension is not as good. Best thug is that the salary and pension is a set amount so can't be hidden.

Ok that's great thanks @ProperVexed. He falls between the two pension schemes as he started in 1997 - so I need to try and get my head around that as well.

The pension will go into the pot fir consideration yes
What % of assets you get will be dependent in lots of factors

My chum, a police officer, managed to keep 2 years pre marriage out of the settlement but the rest was in play. Officers are very protective of their pensions but, as I say, they are well established and publisised. He will be frightened that you have a claim on it. Make sure your solicitor is shit hot and clued up.

that's good advice thank you, he is very money orientated so he will be trying to protect as much as he can

Yes, the pension. Always the pension.
Make sure you get a pension expert report, it will be worth it.

His solicitor will try to fob you off with CETV (= current equivalent transfer value, ie if this was a private pension what's the current value of the fund), but don't agree to that as a basis of value. The income stream of the pension is worth much, much more than the current fund valuation.

Also, as you probably know, standard retirement age for police is around 50-55 (someone will correct me). So that leaves 20 years of earning capacity to look at.

correction - that leaves 10-15 years of earning capacity.

Have you got the cetv
I would go for 50 50
You have a right to a share of it
Unless you would rather offset the equity and keep more of house sale

I've checked, just in case. It's 50% of the years you've been together in 5s. So if you've been together 9 years, you get 10 years of his pension. DH had a chief superintendent at work get divorced the week after he retired as he (stupidly) was having an affair. Wife got 50% of his 30 year pension, 50% of his payout and 70% of the house as she had been a housewife and pretty much facilitated his career. I love a woman for a win!

I’m divorcing a police officer. I have taken 75% of the equity in the house. I’m NHS and can’t claim my pension for 30 yrs (I’m 47) . He is 47 and had 3 years left before retiring. CETV is 90k vs 500k... but that’s what they are worth now. Not comparing like for like as NHS won’t predict future worth. Neither of us want to pay thousands for a pensions actuary. We were married 22 years this year. Three kids 18, 18 and 13. I’m not claiming on his P neither is he on mine. We have just sent the financials off to the court with an explanation that we are aware of shortfalls.My solicitor thinks they may still say no as at this point I would still be 150k down even with equity. Argh so frustrating. Good luck OP! X

That last post isn't accurate. Nhs pension isn't claimed before 77 😄

Go for 50%

Thank you so much for everyone's input - it would appear that he really is trying to pull the wool over my eyes ! - we are just getting to the nitty gritty of it all now so I will repost in a bid to help others once it is all settled

@onlinelinda
Oops typo meant 20 years not 30!! Feels like it might as well be 77!!